With a combined thirty-three years of service on the AC Transit Board, incumbent AC Transit Directors Chris Peeples and Greg Harper were easy choices for our endorsement.
Category: News
Open Letter to City Council in Support of Oakland Infrastructure Bond
Dear Mayor Schaaf and Oakland City Council Members,
Oakland’s voters this November could have an historic opportunity to repave the City’s crumbling streets, to protect and expand affordable housing, and to upgrade community-serving facilities. But the people of Oakland will only get the chance to fix our city if the City Council agrees to put a $600 million infrastructure bond on the ballot.
The Infrastructure Bond, created together with City staff and community leaders, would dedicate $350 million to repairing our streets and sidewalks throughout Oakland, add $100 million for the restoration and preservation of long-term affordable housing across the City, and provide $150 million for long-overdue repairs to parks, community centers, libraries, and fire stations. We are urging the City Council to approve the infrastructure bond at their July 19th meeting for the benefit of all Oaklanders. Read more
Climb the Tribune Tower with TO
The 22-story Tribune Tower is Oakland’s most recognizable landmark. It’s housed a radio station and a newspaper, and today its neon facade celebrates our sports teams. And at 10 AM on Saturday, August 13, you can join its resident neon sculpter John Law on an exclusive two-hour tour of its clock tower. We’ll explore behind the clock faces, learn about the tower’s early plans for a Zeppelin landing port, and experience the value of preserving infrastructure for generations. Read more
16th Street Station Recap
A hearty thanks to the 50 infrastructure enthusiasts who joined our walking tour of 16th Street Station on July 10. Special thanks to our our tour guide Gene Anderson and the elected officials who joined us: BART Director Robert Raburn and AC Transit Directors Chris Peeples and Elsa Ortiz.
Volunteers Needed for Council Endorsements
We are seeking volunteers to interview candidates in fall’s Oakland City Council races: Districts 1, 3, 5, 7, and At-Large. Do you enjoy asking tough questions, and want to see transportation become a headlining issue this fall? Help us determine the right candidates to lead Oakland’s transportation priorities.
Fill out this brief form to get started.
Read more
Tour 16th Street Station with Transport Oakland
Join Transport Oakland for a very special guided tour of one of Oakland’s oldest and most beautiful transportation landmarks. 16th Street Station, built in 1912, was the entry point for thousands of arrivals via the First Transcontinental Railroad, and now stands as a memorial to the era of cross country rail and grand public works. For more on its history, visit Oakland Wiki. Read more
Jeff Tumlin confirmed as OakDOT Interim Director!
Sustainable transportation visionary Jeff Tumlin confirmed as Oakland’s Interim Director of Transportation!
Last night, Oakland City Council voted unanimously to confirm Jeff Tumlin, Principal at Nelson\Nygaard, to take the reins of OakDOT starting this July. In Jeff’s first months on the job, he will work on the new department’s Strategic Plan and organizational planning. Staff have already been working with support from Janette Sadik-Khan and her colleagues at Bloomberg Associates on the department’s first Strategic Plan. Jeff is looking forward to working with the high caliber staff that will be staffing the new DOT, noting that “one of its most powerful advantages is just how dedicated to Oakland every single staff person I’ve met is.”
Council has approved a contract with Nelson\Nygaard associates to “lend” Jeff to OakDOT for eight months. The arrangement will also give the new department access to the wide range of transportation practice areas of Nelson\Nygaard to provide as-needed support.
This is great follow through on the vision for a new vertically-integrated department that Mayor Schaaf unveiled last year. Congratulations, Jeff and Congratulations Oakland! Read Mayor Schaaf’s press release.
Grand Avenue Bike Lane Celebration – May 26
The City of Oakland is making this Bike Month one to remember with an unprecedented project implementation spree. The City unveiled its first parking-protected bike lanes Tuesday on Telegraph, and cut the ribbon yesterday on continuous bike lanes on Grand Avenue.
Let’s celebrate this historic month! Join Transport Oakland and our special guest, Piedmont council member Tim Rood, for a toast to Grand Avenue’s bike lanes on Thursday, May 26 at Grand Tavern. Read more
Sneak Peak at 2016 Revenue Measures
Last week, a crowd of more than fifty came out to hear from the City of Oakland, BART, and AC Transit about transportation revenue measures each are considering for the November 2016 ballot. We were pleased to co-host this informative event along with Walk Oakland Bike Oakland, TransForm, and Bike East Bay. Read more
Endorsements: Rebecca and Lateefah for BART
First Endorsements of 2016: Rebecca and Lateefah
Transport Oakland is opening its 2016 endorsement season early, and we’re throwing our support behind two candidates for the BART Board of Directors who understand that great transportation makes great cities. Join us at our 2016 kick-off party and get to know these two women who will represent Transport Oakland’s vision for a vibrant, equitable Oakland on the BART Board.
Supporting Rebecca Saltzman for a second term on the BART Board of Directors was an easy decision for us. Rebecca has a been a star Board member, pursuing smart policies that address existing BART needs and thoughtfully focus on the long-term health of the agency. We’re also especially pleased by her recent actions to address a major policy gap: requiring 20% affordable housing of any residential development on BART property.
Meet Lateefah Simon and you’ll understand why we’ve endorsed her to represent us on the BART Board of Directors. Lateefah brings a much needed focus on BART riders and station access, particularly for transit-dependent riders and riders with disabilities. And Lateefah shares Transport Oakland’s vision for prioritizing investments in system-wide state of good repair and in the core of the system.
Meet Rebecca and Lateefah on March 22
Join us from 5-7 PM on Tuesday, March 22 to hear more from Rebecca and Lateefah about their vision for BART and how they’ll represent Oakland on the next BART Board of Directors. Transport Oakland is hosting a happy hour at Mad Oak (135 12th Street, near Lake Merritt BART) to help kick off their campaigns. Meet these terrific candidates and other Oaklanders excited about a more resilient and accessible BART network. Hear more from Transport Oakland’s leadership about our roadmap through November 2016 (endorsements for Oakland City Council and AC Transit Board coming later this year). Suggested donation $20-$100. Donate in advance (preferred) or at the event. RSVP on Facebook to see who else is attending, and we hope to see you there.